Comments

I think liberal arts are cool, but they’re really for personal development, not for employment. I’d love to be able to take off four years and get a liberal arts degree, but it wouldn’t make me any more employable.

So, sure, major in liberal arts, but make sure you at least minor in something useful.

All this, of course, applies to traditional liberal arts, not modern-day, “Racial and Gender Themes in Hesiod’s Works and Days”, liberal arts. That stuff is worthless.

I’ve hired and managed a lot of people, and I certainly agree with the importance of writing and analytical skills. But I’m far from convinced that the typical liberal arts curriculum these days does anything significant to develop these skills; indeed, it may often do positive harm.

Also, I would note the importance of speaking skills and verbal debate skills in business, and really in a wide array of careers. **Rhetoric** was once considered an important part of a liberal arts education, and so it should be again.

My undergrad degree was in Art History and I actually put it to use as the director of a local arts council. I spent four years writing, researching, and discussing topics rather than focus on the black and white, right or wrong other majors may deal in. I’ve had several employers talk about how they will only employ liberal arts majors b/c those that majored in tech, science, or business are usually too single minded and have difficulty thinking outside of the box.